Melodeon.net Forums

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome to the new melodeon.net forum

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: push/pull  (Read 1722 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Nickk

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
push/pull
« on: March 27, 2017, 06:32:48 PM »

Hi all, I am new here having just acquired a Hohner pokerwork in C, I quickly found a scale as I am a muso of long standing on all things fretted and, apart from breaking the left hand (bass?) strap all is going pretty well and I am happy, my question is I seem to be pushing and pulling quite a lot, sometimes every note. is this normal when playing G,F and C tunes or do I need to learn a better approach ? also sometimes during a tune I am letting go of the bass side altogether because the tune I am playing benefits not from any of the notes/chords in the left hand, do I need lessons or is this normal before I develop bad habits ? thanks in advance.
Logged

boxcall

  • You got to love it!!!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1753
  • Accordion to who?
Re: push/pull
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2017, 08:05:46 PM »

Hi Nick,
welcome, if you have a Hohner pokerwork with one row of buttons in any key you will be pushing and pulling.
pushing more in C and pulling more in the others GF
and as you say, leave out bass when it's not sounding right.
Logged
Hohner 1040 C, Beltuna one row four stop D, O'Byrne Dewitt/ Baldoni bros. D/C#, Paolo soprani "pepperpot" one row D

Anahata

  • This mind intentionally left blank
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6357
  • Oakwood D/G, C/F Club, 1-rows in C,D,G
    • Treewind Music
Re: push/pull
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2017, 08:10:58 PM »

Perfectly normal.
If the tune is bouncy dance music (and to some extent even if it isn't), you can solve the bass problem by playing a staccato bass/chords style so you aren't trying to hold bass buttons down over bellows changes.

Is your "Pokerwork in C" a single row or two row box? Your description is ambiguous as the common type of Pokerwork is two rows.

If it's a single row, there is literally nothing you can do about all that pushing and pulling, but it's not a problem: you'll get used to it and learn to love the the energy it creates.
Logged
I'm a melodeon player. What's your excuse?
Music recording and web hosting: www.treewind.co.uk
Mary Humphreys and Anahata: www.maryanahata.co.uk
Ceilidh band: www.barleycoteband.co.uk

george garside

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5401
Re: push/pull
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2017, 08:25:33 PM »

Perfectly normal.
If the tune is bouncy dance music (and to some extent even if it isn't), you can solve the bass problem by playing a staccato bass/chords style so you aren't trying to hold bass buttons down over bellows changes.
 .

if your box is a one row in C with  the economical 2 bass try to think of the bass as (slightly) tuned percussion and  as Anahata has  indicated 'tap lightly and rhythmically' and where it sounds crap don't tap at all

george
Logged
author of DG tutor book "DG Melodeon a Crash Course for Beginners".

Nickk

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
Re: push/pull
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2017, 12:57:46 PM »

yeah sorry, I was a bit vague in my description but, as most of you seem to have sussed it is indeed a one row instrument. I am a complete novice with any type of box and am having a lot of fun with this new adventure, I bought a second hand leather belt from a charity shop (carefully measured for width) and using the old one as a template quickly repaired the bass strap and, I am good to go now ! Thanks to all for the advice, I am sure you will hear more from me as I go along too, more practice then for me, and, thanks again .
Logged

Tone Dumb Greg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4929
    • Dartmoor Border Morris
Re: push/pull
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2017, 01:31:17 PM »

Hi all, I am new here having just acquired a Hohner pokerwork in C, I quickly found a scale as I am a muso of long standing on all things fretted and, apart from breaking the left hand (bass?) strap all is going pretty well and I am happy, my question is I seem to be pushing and pulling quite a lot, sometimes every note. is this normal when playing G,F and C tunes or do I need to learn a better approach ? also sometimes during a tune I am letting go of the bass side altogether because the tune I am playing benefits not from any of the notes/chords in the left hand, do I need lessons or is this normal before I develop bad habits ? thanks in advance.

Wot they all said, but,
 on the last point, I would add that you might find a few lessons at this stage speeds your progress up a lot.
Logged
Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce

Nickk

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
Re: push/pull
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2017, 03:26:16 PM »

Yes thanks, I may well grab a few lessons just to avoid developing bad habits, FWIW the tunes I am trying are "The Leaving Of Liverpool" and "Harvest Home/Cork Hornpipe" these are both for a recording project I am involved in right now.
Logged

george garside

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5401
Re: push/pull
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2017, 09:28:41 PM »

Nick, harvest home is a bit ambitious for a beginner as there are a lot of very quick and perfectly timed reversals required. Same goes for cork hornpipe or for that matter any other hornpipe as aabsolute precision is needed for it to sound half decent!

Leaving of Liverpool should be  more manageable

I agree that a few lessons would  help. You havnt given any indication of your location  in your profile. brad details eg country/county/ town may lead to you being able to  get in touch with any forum members local to you. no need for full address.

george
Logged
author of DG tutor book "DG Melodeon a Crash Course for Beginners".

Nick Collis Bird

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3785
  • Been squeezing melodeons for over 48 years (badly)
Re: push/pull
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2017, 08:59:16 AM »

It's true George, not leaving location details is a pain if you're trying to help someone. Even a county would do.
 Yours , disgusted  Tunbridge Wells.
Or even Mrs Trellis of North Wales.
Logged
Has anyone heard of the song. “ Broken Alarm-clock Blues” ? It starts   “I woke up this Afternoon”

george garside

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5401
Re: push/pull
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2017, 09:10:12 AM »

or F. Artarse  of Bangor!

 ;D
Logged
author of DG tutor book "DG Melodeon a Crash Course for Beginners".

Lyra

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 558
Re: push/pull
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2017, 11:13:53 AM »

Or lessons from the delightful Miss Mel Biggs, who manifests in your very own living room through the wonders of electricity  :|||:
Logged

Nickk

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
Re: push/pull
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2017, 10:27:03 AM »

I do take your point about Harvest Home being a tad ambitious so, to avoid becoming frustrated and discouraged I have shelved it or, at least shuffled it down the list of wannaplays and am concentrating on coordinating left and right hands with simple tunes, it is still pretty tricky for me but, anything worth the doing requires effort I reckon.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 


Melodeon.net - (c) Theo Gibb; Clive Williams 2010. The access and use of this website and forum featuring these terms and conditions constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal